Fusible line



M. K. HOPKINS.4

FUSIBLE LINK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 191s.

'Patented July 1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

JWM.

THB COLUMnm l'LANncRMI co.. WASHINGTON. u. L'.

M. K. HOPKINS.

FUSIBLE LINK.

APPLICATION FILED sP.21.l9\8.'

1,308,075. Patented July 1, 1919.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

MoRToivK. HOPKiNs, OFCHICAG, ILLrrTo-Is, AssIGNoR" rrorJoHivLL. KENivnnY,oF

errreaeo, ILLiivois.

nausea/5.

Specification of `Letters IPatent.

FUSIBLE LINK;

Application fue@ september ai,` 191er serial Normalen.

To all 'whom t may concern: Be it known that I, MoRToN K. I-IoriiiNs,

a citizen of the'United States of America,`

county of Cook residing at Chicago, in the and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements i1i'1Fii`sibl e Links, of which the following is a descrip tion.

My inventionibelongs to that general class` of fusible links in whicha plurality of parts are secured together with a suitable solder toforin a unitary device,- so that uponthe temperature reaching a certain point the solder will become melted and the parts au duction of device of the character stated` which will be simple andfeconomical incon-l struct-ion and in assemblingithe coperatiirgi` parts, and Which will be reliably effective in its operation for the purposes described. h

To this end my` invention" consists inthe novel construction, arrangementwand combination of partsherein shown and described,i` andmore particularly pointed out in `the claims. y y h y y y y In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate*` like or corresponding` parts,

Figure l indicates `a face view of my Fimproved device with the parts assembled;

Fig. 2 is `a sectional edge view taken substantially on line 2;-2 ofFig. `1'; h

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken on line 3-3 ofF ig. 2 showing a'facefviewof one of the duplicate locking. members ,11

Fig. 4L isa central longitudinal view-taken on line I4-4 of Fig. l

F ig. 5 is a central transverse section taken on. l1ne15-..-5 of Fig. l; f.

Fig. 6 is'a diagrammatic view"l showing the several parts separated aiidlocated to4 indicate the manner' oftheir` assembling; i Fig. 7is a partial central sectional View taken online 7-7 ofFig. 3, showingl the key seatedion the key aperture when the parts are properly assembled; and

Sis anend 'View offtlielieyr i Iltaiterrng first ta Fig. G, it will. be seen.

l provided with aniend` extension 2 `feet of the-pull platesg so `constructedwthat when `the parts that `1---1 are substantially" duplicate plates adapted to lie one upon the other, and each adapted for` engagement with a cooperating' part Whenthelink is properly assembledl Each lof theseduplicate plates has formedtheroin a key perture 3f These, in the preferred form, arealso substantially duplicates of one another `and so formed that when the parts-y 1-1 are-placedone upon theother the apertures `will register, forming a` complete key ratentedauiyi, 1919. y y' seat. 4 isthekey member constructed to be loosely seated withinthe double aperture 3", substantially filling the same, but` loosely seatedlthereini in such mannerthat airend y pull `upon i the `parts in the line indicated by thearrows iir'Fig;` 7 will permitthe key member to disengage the `nuembers l, permitting them toireadily; separate.` It lwill be Inoted that the operatiiig `faces of the key are diagonally opposite one tively engage the `parts -l toyoppose` the ef# thereon;` 5-5 i are cover 1--1` -are brought togetherand the key positionedltherein the tvvoplateswill cover "the `fiat fsides ofthe link andthe key seat, preventingqthe accidentali disengagement of the `keyi as well as dust, dirt, grease, etc., freni becoming lodged in and about thekey. As` thus arranged with theparts 2 extending in oppositedirections and the cover plates in positi'oina suitable quality of solder is einployed to maintain theseveral parts in such unitaryposition until they are releasedby a higher` temperature, melting or lessening the lhold of the solder.`

l another and efl'eoi Ini` the preferred construction the contact l f of the face ofthe `key with the `wallfof the aperture issuch as to permit arolling action of pone'fon the lother to insure a propersepa` ration. This may be secured by bevelingw one 'onboth of the non-holding faces of the key` as 'atllg as clearly illustrated in Figs.

`7 and 8,]01, the reverse construction of course' would apply` where the wall of the keyiapertureisbeveledtinstead;` "In the preferred:construction also, `Ilprefer to` make a keysubstantially the forniy of a cross as indicated', `as it servesto` `give aumorefeffective bearing for the purpose stated. In this constructionl find it convenient in assembling the parts tof form one arm of thecioss, as atta slightly longer; on of f slightly medified he corresponding on "erture as the parts separate.

fer to provide "each of the parts 1 with Va slightly extending stud 81 which is posi# tionedi on the meeting face of the part. I also vform in the free edge of the cover 5 a coperating indentation 9, which when the parts are properly assembled will contact with the stud/S and bring the cover into perfect relation with the part 1. In some eases,

I prefer to provide slight studs or protuberances' 10 on the approximate faces of the parts 1, so that when they are brought to gether these extensions 10 contacting with the approximate face of the cooperating part 1 will serve to slightly space the two apart for the purpose of allowing the solder which unites the two to be perfectly and evenly distributed between the two parts. y

, Referringto Fig. 7, and particularly to the arrows indicating thepull on the link. it will be seen that as the parts disengage, the key 4 has a tendency to roll out of the aperture in the plates 1. For this purpose I prefer to bevel the non-bearing faces of the key as at 11 as stated, the angle of the bevel being suflicient to secure the proper rolling and accurate disengagement of the parts as Y stated. I have secured very satisfactory results on the small links for automatic sprinkling devices by forming an angle at from twenty to twenty-live degrees. In any event it should be sufficient to insure the end ofthe key clearing the 'wallof the ap- It will be noted that the cover plates 5 each have oneeright-angular edge extension as at 12, which covers the edge of the link when the parts are assembled. l f

As thus constructed the link is very rei-` liable in yevery respect, and the coperating parts are fully protected from d11st,di1t, grease, calcimine, oranything of that nature `which mightv enter into the cracks or crev- Yices, and by reason of ,long inactiony of the device serve to render 1t unreliable 111 case of emergency.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modiiications maybe made in the same without departing from the spirit of'fmy invention; hence I do not wish'to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construc` tion, arrangement andcombination of parts herein Yshown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-V

1. 'A fusible vlink comprising two substan- Vkey seat, in combination with a cooperating key formed to loosely lit within the aperture 7r thus formed, and cover plates each adapted to -cover one flat face of the associated plates and the key aperture, whereby upon assembling the parts as described with solder they form an integral link for the purpose stated.

2. A fusible link comprising two substantially duplicate plates each provided with an end adapted for engagement with a coperating part, and each having an aperture formed therein for a key, whereby upon placing the parts 011e upon the other with the engagement ends extending in opposite directions the key apertures in the two will register with 011e another to complete a key seat, in combination with a cooperating key formed to loosely lit within the seat thus formed, and formed to roll outward from the seat in releasing the parts, and cover plates each adapted to cover one of the upper faces of the associated plates to substantially close the key aperture, whereby upon assembling the parts as described with solder between them the whole will form an integral .link for the purpose stated, and upon the release of the solder the parts will 100 automatically separate.

3. A fusible link comprising two substantially duplicate plates, each provided with ,an end adapted for engagement with a cosubstantially register with 011e another to 110 complete the key seat, in combination with a coperating key formed to loosely fit with in the laperture thus formed and having the non-bearing faces formed in relation to the seat to permit the key to roll outward to re 115 'lease therefrom, and cover plates adapted to cover the flat faces ofthe link and substantially close the key aperture, whereby upon assembling the parts as described with solder they may form an integral link for the purpose stated.

4. A fusible link comprising two substantially duplicate plates, each provided with an end adapted for engagement with a cooperating part, and each having a substantially cross-shaped vaperture formed therein fora key, whereby upon placing the parts one upon the other with the engagement endsv extending in opposite directions the lkey apertures in the two will register with the parts as described with solder they will form an integral link 'torth.

5. A fusible link comprising` two substantially duplicate plates, each provided with an end adapted for engagement with a c0- operating part, and each having an aperture formed therein for a key, whereby upon placing the parts one upon the other with the engagement ends extending in opposite directions the key apertures in the two will register' to complete a key seat, and each of said parts provided with an assembling guide 8, in combination with a coperating key formed to loosely lit within the aperture thus formed and arrangedto automatically for the purpose set disengage the parts to release the same, and cover plates each adapted to cover one face of the link and one edge, and provided with a cooperating part 9 arranged to engage with the part 8 in assembling the parts, sub- Svalltially as described.

y G. A fusible link comprising two substantially duplicate plates each prdvidedwith an end adapted for engagement with a coperating part, and each having a substantially cross-shaped aperture formed therein lor a key,one extension of said aperture being slightly modified from the other, whereby upon placing the parts one upon the other with the engagement ends extending in opu posite directions the key apertures in the two will register' with one another to completea key seat, in combination with a cooperating key formed to loosely fit within the aperture thus formed and to automatically disengage fromthe seat as the plates are released, and

`cover plates each adapted to cover one flat face of the `link and the key seat and one edge of the link, substantially as described;

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my naine in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORTON K. HOPKINS.

lVitnesses CHARLES I. COBB, JOHN W. HILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing1 the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

